Our Team

Our Team

Close-up of a dappled dachshund with tongue out, looking to the side.

Veterinarian in West Allis

If you are searching for a trusted veterinarian in West Allis with a long history of providing exceptional care to pets and their parents, look no further than Spirit of 76th Veterinary Clinic. We serve residents of West Allis, Greenfield, Wauwatosa, Milwaukee, and the surrounding areas and would be honored to be entrusted with your beloved companion’s care. We offer convenient late hours, are wheelchair accessible, and always do everything we can to ensure a positive experience for our clients. To learn more about us or to schedule your pet’s first appointment, call now!

Dr. Troy Semandel

Practice Owner

Dr. Troy Semandel is a West Allis native who attended Woodrow Wilson Elementary, Frank Lloyd Wright Middle, and West Allis Central High School. Dr. Troy obtained his undergraduate and his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After veterinary school, Dr. Troy did an internship at small animal medicine at Florida’s largest private practice, Hollywood Animal Hospital, for two years. After Hollywood, he returned to his hometown and practiced under Dr. Stan Thieman for two years before buying the practice in 2003. Dr. Troy has a close, long association with Spirit of 76th Veterinary Clinic. In fact, he started as a kennel boy during his high school days, then worked as a receptionist while in pre-vet school.

Dr. Troy’s interests are in small animal medicine and surgery, including orthopedics, such as ACLs, patellar luxations, and hip surgeries. He has a hobby farm that he shares with his wife, Dr. Sophie Kelly, which includes two dogs and five cats along with goats, chickens, koi, and honeybees. Dr. Troy also played hockey at UW along with playing for 18 years in the GLHL for the Milwaukee Flyers. His hobbies include golf, hiking, and relaxing at his farm.

Dr. Sophie Kelly

Veterinarian

Dr. Kelly was born and raised in Scotland. She attended the University of Glasgow where she received her degree in Veterinary Medicine with commendations. After graduation, Dr. Kelly moved to Wisconsin and spent the first few years of her career as an Emergency and Critical Care Veterinarian in the local area.

In her free time, Dr. Kelly loves to travel and go camping. She spends a lot of time walking her two dogs in the Wisconsin countryside. Dr. Kelly is also a huge cat lover and currently has five cats at home as well as 25 chickens.

Dr. James Voss

Veterinarian

Dr. Voss was born and raised in southeast Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for veterinary school. After finishing school, he initially worked as a large animal veterinarian in Watertown, WI. After a few years, he moved back to southeast Wisconsin – where he remains today – to work as a small animal veterinarian. Dr. Voss has a dog named Kimi who he acquired while working at Spirit of 76th Veterinary Clinic. In his spare time, Dr. Voss enjoys playing and recording music and competing in various water and winter sports. Along with cats and dogs, he enjoys seeing and treating all types of pocket pets.

Dr. Janessa Thompson

Veterinarian

Dr. Thompson is a 2015 graduate of Iowa State College of Veterinary Medicine. She has spent the past five years working in emergency medicine and is looking forward to a change of pace here at Spirit of 76th Veterinary Clinic. Her special interests include internal medicine and reproduction.

Outside of work, Dr. Thompson competes in various dog sports — including obedience, rally, hunt trials, dock diving, barn hunt, and conformation — with her four dogs. She also enjoys hiking, reading, and trying new foods.

Dr. Drew Wawrzyszuk

Veterinarian

Dr. Drew Wawrzyszuk (Va-vish-u) joined the Spirit of 76th team in May of 2022. He received his Veterinary Medicine Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has lived all over the Midwest. His professional interests include ultrasound and surgery, in particular. However, he was president of the Emergency and Critical Care Society at UW-Madison and has extensive experience in general practice and emergency care. Dr. Drew and his significant other have two rescue dogs, and they enjoy hiking and running together when away from work. He is also a self-proclaimed chef and a do-it-yourselfer whenever possible.

Dr. Jamie Donahue

Veterinarian

Dr. Donahue is a 2010 graduate of St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine. He completed his bachelor’s degree in 1999 from California Polytechnic Humboldt in Wildlife Biology. He has primarily practiced emergency and urgent care before making the transition to preventative medicine in 2020. Areas of interest include anesthesia and dermatology. Dr Donahue is looking forward to forming lasting relationships and assisting patients and clients through all life stages.

Angela Huntington

Management

Angie first started working at Spirit of 76th in 2011 as a receptionist with an interest in veterinary medicine and zoology. While working at the clinic, she also studied at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to earn a degree in Conservation and Environmental Science. Throughout college, Angie also had the opportunity to intern at numerous facilities with wildlife and marine mammals. While studying to take the veterinary technician national exam, she also spent time working as a Zookeeper caring for eastern black rhinos. Angie obtained her Certified Veterinary Technician License and worked many years helping to provide care for so many patients. Angie is now the clinic’s practice manager and oversees all of the operations of functioning the business. During her free time, Angie enjoys spending time with her family camping and hiking.

Liza

Management

Liza joins us with a long career in social work and the last 10 years in human resources. She is from Wisconsin but has lived and shared time on the East Coast. Specifically in Virginia, DC, and New York and at one time lived in Boston. She has always had a passion for animals and currently has two dogs. She spends her free time doing DIY projects and activities with her dogs.

Lynette

Lead Certified Veterinary Technician

Lynette has been at Spirit of 76th since she graduated from the Vet Tech Institute at Fox College in Tinley Park, Illinois. After completing her internship, she was hired as a Veterinary Technician in April of 2012. She successfully passed the VTNE and became a Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) in December of 2012. A couple of years later, she accepted the Lead Technician position, and, most recently, she took the role of Technician Manager. She has completed many hours of continued education to keep her certification up to date, including attending the Western Vet Conference. Throughout her many years at Spirit, she has learned that she has a passion for doing dentals, anesthesia, and making sure that patient care is number one.

In her spare time, she helps her mom run a small cat rescue called “Hands Helping Paws” where they foster mother cats with kittens in hopes of finding their furever homes. Her cat, Sobe, is a Burmilla/Egyptian Mau mix. She has a personality just like a dog and enjoys spending all the time her mom allows outside. Lynette enjoys being outside, whether it’s hiking, camping, or simply taking a walk. She also loves traveling when she can and can’t wait to meet your fur babies soon!

Storm

Veterinary Technician

Storm is a recent graduate of Milwaukee Career College. She is a veterinary assistant and is currently back in school to become a certified veterinary technician. She is a mother of eight furbabies, including four cats (Midnight, Bitsy, Nala, and McLovin), her pitbull/German Shepherd mix Noah, Squeakers the chinchilla, and two adorable guinea pigs named Cookie and Bugsy. Animals will always be a big part of her life. She hopes to continue this path onto zoology medicine and volunteer at shelters to make sure fur babies of all sizes are cared for.

Linette

Veterinary Technician

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Linette started taking veterinary assistant classes at the beginning of February 2021. She has had a genuine desire to take care of animals since childhood and is thrilled to be pursuing her dream. Linette shares her home with an adorable nine-year-old Chihuahua/Japanese Chin. mix.

Shannon

Veterinary Technician

Shannon has always had a passion for helping animals. In May of 2022, she graduated from Milwaukee Career College as a Veterinary Assistant, and in 2023, she graduated from the Veterinary Technician program, obtaining an associate’s degree in applied animal sciences. Shannon is currently in the process of studying to take the VTNE to become a certified veterinary technician. When she is not studying, she spends time with her husband, Dan, and her fur babies- Ivy, Bandit, Stache, and Garfield.

Paul

Veterinary Technician

Paul is excited to join the Spirit of 76th Team as a technician assistant. Previously, he worked as a zookeeper at the Racine Zoo, where he was responsible for the reptiles, amphibians, and education animals. He lives in Milwaukee with his wife, Mandi, and son, Matthew, along with a leopard gecko, tarantula, and Madagascar hissing cockroach.

In his free time, Paul enjoys reading science fiction and epic historical fiction, doing crafts, and spending time outdoors hiking and kayaking. He looks forward to learning as much as he can at Spirit of 76th. He is particularly excited about working with the cold-blooded patients — because even the creepy crawlies deserve top-notch veterinary care!

Emma

Veterinary Technician

Jordan

Veterinary Technician

Photo/Bio coming soon…

Regan

Kennel Assistant

Lauren

Veterinary Assistant

Photo/Bio coming soon…

Joshua

Lead CSR

Josh has been working for Spirit of 76th since April of 2007. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports, such as hockey and softball. He also loves going to hockey games and being outdoors. His favorite thing to do, however, is spending time with his cat, Liberty.

Thomas

CSR

Thomas, or Tom for short, started with Spirit of 76th in July of 2017. Before joining Spirit of 76th, he volunteered at an urban farm where he cared for chickens and goats. He also enjoys watching his friends’ pets when they go on vacation or are away from home for a bit. In his free time, he enjoys watching and playing sports, including hockey and baseball, and spending time with friends and family.

Betty

CSR

Born in California and raised in Wisconsin, Betty has a son, Terry, and two rescue dogs: a Basset/Beagle from WHS named Matilda Grace (13) and Harper from BREW, who just turned two. She has been with Spirit of 76th for several years and describes her job as “Girl Friday” from time to time on the phone with clients, helping staff and doctors when needed, taking care of the plants, doing some of the gardening, and dressing up the clinic for the holidays. She stays busy and looks forward to coming to work because no two days are the same.

Emma

CSR

Emma has adored and cared for animals from a very young age. She grew up alongside many feline and canine companions- even a few hamsters and geckos! She is empathetic and enjoys helping others. Emma appreciates the field of veterinary medicine and the continual learning opportunities it provides. Her hobbies include drawing, painting, listening to music, spending time with her family, and playing with her cats.

Makenna

CSR

Photo and bio coming soon…

Kasondra

CSR

I’ve been working with animals and in customer service for over 10 years, from four paws to five fins. My background includes pet counseling and aquarium care, where I helped people with everything from choosing the right pet to creating healthy and thriving aquatic environments. I’m passionate about helping animals and the people who care for them. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my cat Coralline, cooking, camping, and gardening.

Hope

CSR

Photo and bio coming soon…

Kristie

CSR

Kristie was born in Suffolk, Virginia. She has compassion for caregiving and a deep commitment to animal health and science. From an early age, Kristie developed hands-on experience in animal care while assisting her parents with a cat sanctuary that housed more than twenty cats.

Kristie is pursuing her education online in Veterinary Technology, Veterinary Assisting, Pathology, and Grief Counseling. Her studies reflect her lifelong passion for animal care and her desire to contribute meaningfully to the veterinary field, both in health sciences and in supporting pet owners through all stages of animal care and companionship.

Kristie now resides in West Allis, Wisconsin, with her fiancé and their three beloved pets: Bugsy, Miley, and O’Malley. Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, she enjoys gaming, reading, crafting, and DIY projects.